This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Wednesday's featured evening MLB slate contains 11 games starting at 7:05 PM Eastern time. Even with eight fewer teams to choose from, there are still plenty of strong fantasy options available. Ten of them are listed below, making up the night's top value plays.
PITCHER
Dinelson Lamet, SD vs. ARI ($7,700): San Diego's putrid offense hasn't rewarded him with many wins, but Lamet's quietly enjoyed a strong second half with a 2.44 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 59 innings over his past 10 starts. That success should continue against a Diamondbacks offense that strikes out more than all but five other teams and ranks a mere 27th in road OPS with a .697 mark outside the hitter-friendly Chase Field.
Luke Weaver, STL at CIN ($9,400): Weaver cost $10,900 heading into his last start and was able to outplay that price by holding these same Reds without an earned run over six innings. Even though that outing dropped his season ERA to 1.89 and WHIP to 1.03, Weaver costs $1,500 less this time around. The 24-year-old righty is impossible to ignore at that price, especially since he brings a monstrous 31.0 percent strikeout rate along with those tidy other numbers.
CATCHER
Christian Vazquez, BOS at BAL ($3,600): Vazquez has been swinging a hot bat recently with a .392/.431/.598 line since July 29. That success has forced manager John Farrell to keep Vazquez in the lineup almost all the time, as the catcher's been getting work at the DH spot even when he doesn't start behind the plate. Vazquez's season wOBA against lefties is a respectable .342 while Baltimore starter Wade Miley has surrendered a .372 wOBA to batters from the right side.
FIRST BASE
Matt Carpenter, STL at CIN ($4,300): Reds righty Rookie Davis is re-entering the rotation now that he's back from the Disabled List, which is great news for opposing batters. Davis has been awful in 21 innings this year, posting a 7.71 ERA and 2.24 WHIP. Carpenter is one of the Cardinals best positioned to take advantage of this favorable matchup, as he maximizes plate appearances out of the leadoff spot and owns a .373 wOBA against right-handed pitching.
SECOND BASE
Daniel Murphy, WAS at ATL ($5,100): Braves rookie Lucas Sims has struggled regardless of role this season, posting a 5.52 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 11 appearances (seven starts). Two main causes of his ineffectiveness are a 1.43 HR/9 and .393 wOBA allowed to left-handed hitters. Murphy's primed to capitalize on both of those weaknesses, as he sports a .385 wOBA against righties while launching 18 of his 22 home runs in that split.
THIRD BASE
Manny Machado, BAL vs. BOS ($3,800): Machado has been producing like the superstar he's expected to be of late, but his price has been dropped to $3,800 for this matchup with Boston starter Chris Sale. That valuation fails to consider that Sale is in the midst of his annual late-season swoon, as he owns a pedestrian 4.25 ERA in nine starts since the calendar flipped to August. Machado's wOBA against lefties is up to .352 and he's erased the memories of a slow start with a .317/.346/.598 line overall since July 30.
SHORTSTOP
Javier Baez, CHC at TB ($3,500): Baez has to battle for playing time in Chicago's crowded infield, but his lineup spot should be safe against lefties. He's dominated in that split all season, posting a .393 wOBA in 118 at-bats. Rays southpaw Blake Snell's unlikely to reverse that trend, as his .330 wOBA allowed to right-handed hitters is .087 higher than his mark in lefty-on-lefty situations.
OUTFIELD
Rhys Hoskins, PHI vs. LAD ($4,400): Hoskins has been tremendous when facing left-handed pitching, posting a 6:12 K:BB while launching six long balls in 30 at-bats for a .507 wOBA. That success should continue at home against Alex Wood, who owns a disappointing 4.70 ERA and 5.81 FIP over 23 innings in his past four starts even after tossing six dominant innings against the Nationals last time out. Hoskins' chances of going deep are also boosted by Citizens Bank Park's league-leading 1.42 home run park factor.
Dexter Fowler, STL at CIN ($4,500): Fowler joins Carpenter as a likely contributor against the overmatched Davis. The switch-hitting outfielder has found greater success from the left side, posting a .038 higher wOBA than when he hits right-handed at .363. He'll be batting left-handed against a righty who's allowed a .439 wOBA to his first 51 hitters faced from that side, and has the power to make Davis pay for mistakes with 14 homers in this split.
Mike Trout, LAA vs. CLE ($5,400): Two other outfielders cost more than Trout, which makes him underpriced here. Cleveland right-hander Josh Tomlin has allowed a higher wOBA to batters from the right side than the left and his 5.05 ERA stems from a lofty 1.42 HR/9. Trout's excelled in righty-on-righty situations with a .460 wOBA and 27 of his 29 home runs have come in that split. No other hitter is better equipped to lead lineups to victory in this slate.
